Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis deoxyribonucleic acid in women with tubal infertility

OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis by in situ hybridization in fallopian tube tissues of women with distal tubal occlusion. PATIENTS: Subjects were selected from a Seattle-based study of infertility in women with distally occluded fallopian tubes undergoing reconstructive surgery. For comparison, six specimens were obtained from women undergoing surgery for noninfertility-related conditions who had normal appearing tubes. METHODS: Tissue specimens from 16 of these patients were selected for analysis by in situ hybridization and immunoperoxidase (IP) staining. RESULTS: C. trachomatis was detected in 9 of 16 women by either in situ hybridization or IP. Six of the nine were seropositive with titers ranging from 1:16 to 1:64. Tissue from 6 women with normal appearing fallopian tubes were negative by in situ hybridization. CONCLUSIONS: The demonstration of C. trachomatis deoxyribonucleic acid and/or antigens in fallopian tube tissue from infertile women with distal tubal disease suggests that C. trachomatis can persist in these tissues in an uncultivable state.